Wang Qiqi had assumed transferring the house deeds would take at least three days, so she was stunned when everything concluded in a single day. She stood vacantly at the property center, clutching the four thin sheets of paper. "That's it?" She never imagined that in this life, she would so swiftly become the landlord of four properties, even if they were acquired at the cost of her parents' lives.

"Yes, you can collect the property certificates using this receipt and the contract. Once the property certificates are done, come to this location to handle the land certificates. That way, these houses can be put on the market for resale in the future," the driver’s father explained patiently.

Wang Qiqi merely hummed, closing her eyes briefly to calm her nerves. "Can we still make it to the traffic police detachment now?" Wang Qiqi knew the other party was anxious, and although she had entertained the thought of letting the at-fault driver suffer a bit longer in detention, given how generous they had been, there seemed no need for it.

The other party had been contemplating how to approach Wang Qiqi, so when she brought it up herself, they quickly responded, "Yes, yes, we can make it." Even if they were past closing time, he was confident he could still finalize the matter.

Upon arriving at the traffic police detachment, Wang Qiqi signed the agreement without hesitation. That signature sealed the fate of the disastrous traffic accident, as all injured and deceased parties had been settled. Wang Qiqi declined the offer of an escort back home, walking out of the traffic police detachment alone. She knew their courtesy was merely lip service; their good attitude until now was solely to secure her signature at the station. Now that the matter was settled, she shouldn't expect any further consideration from them.

Indeed, just as Wang Qiqi reached the entrance of the detachment, she saw the car speed away with aggressive momentum toward the traffic police headquarters. Wang Qiqi stood by the entrance for a long time, debating whether to go back or go somewhere else. Eventually, she decided the cemetery was the most appropriate destination. Since she had money and her ID was with her, she hailed a taxi straight to the graveyard.

When Wang Qiqi arrived at the cemetery office, it was precisely during the lunch break, and no one was attending to her. She could only sit by the side helplessly, waiting for them to return to work. After all, she couldn't expect much in terms of service attitude here, especially since this place, much like crematoriums, currently faced no competition.

Office staff members gradually filtered back in. They noticed Wang Qiqi sitting near the entrance but didn't ask any intrusive questions. Finally, a middle-aged woman noticed Wang Qiqi enduring the scorching sun outside the door. "Young lady, what brings you here to...?" It felt awkward to suggest she was there to visit a grave, as it seemed too late for that. Perhaps she was there to buy a plot? But why was she alone, even if her clothes were quite somber?

Wang Qiqi nodded and stood up. "Yes, I need to purchase a burial plot for my parents."

At that moment, the middle-aged woman noticed the black armband on Wang Qiqi’s arm and the thread attached to it. "Oh, little girl, please come inside. Are you here by yourself?" Although most children now were only children, usually an uncle, aunt, or other elder would step forward to purchase the plot or accompany the child.

Wang Qiqi thanked her. "Yes, I came alone. I was out running errands nearby and stopped by here. I wanted to ask, once the plot is purchased, when will the headstone and the surrounding curb be finished?"

"When are your parents being cremated?"

Wang Qiqi pinched the bridge of her nose. "In the next few days, so I'm in a bit of a hurry. My parents passed away quite suddenly."

"Usually, it takes five or six days. If you pay extra, we can manage it in three days." The middle-aged woman studied Wang Qiqi. "Ah, never mind. I'll speak to the workers about it later. You look quite pitiful." Losing one's parents so young, and it seemed the uncles and elder relatives weren't stepping up, otherwise, they wouldn't have let a child handle this alone.

Wang Qiqi shook her head. She had sufficient funds; there was no need to take advantage. "Auntie, thank you, but no need for the rush fee. I just hope the workers can make the work look beautiful, as this will be where my parents reside for a long time."

"That is a given." The woman gave Wang Qiqi a curious look, surprised that this young woman wasn't short of money. "Do you have any specific requirements for the plot?"

Wang Qiqi pondered. "Preferably one with good sun exposure, ideally on the mountainside. Also, I want a relatively large plot, perhaps around ten square meters." Wang Qiqi briefly stated her requirements. The mountainside would offer views of the surroundings, and it wouldn't be too tiring for her when she came to pay respects. Of course, it would be more expensive than the flat ground below, though the price difference for that specific location wasn't huge, which suited Wang Qiqi.

Wang Qiqi thought her request was simple, but the last requirement stunned everyone in the office. They all looked at her with surprise. A man finally spoke up. "Little girl, you must know these plots are not cheap. If it’s on the mountainside, it’s at least two or three thousand per square meter." Ten square meters would cost twenty or thirty thousand, and with some decoration, it could easily reach fifty or sixty thousand—comparable to a studio apartment. Basically, only families with substantial wealth would splurge this much.

Two or three thousand? Wang Qiqi considered it truly inexpensive. If it weren't considered inauspicious to speculate on burial plots, she would have loved to invest now. She knew that in the future, this spot would cost seven or eight thousand per square meter, and more importantly, you needed a death certificate to purchase one due to the high demand and the favorable Feng Shui of the area. "I know. No matter the cost, I want my parents to rest comfortably. And I'm buying a larger plot so that when I pass away, I can be buried alongside them."

Everyone understood then. They often encountered people who bought multiple plots at once, usually when siblings were purchasing for their parents and arranged to have their own plots nearby so the children could be reunited after death.

Seeing Wang Qiqi was so resolute, the middle-aged woman picked up a ledger and pointed out several locations, explaining the specific placement details to Wang Qiqi, who was listening with a haze of confusion. Finally, the woman said, "I'll have a worker take you to look around. Once you are satisfied with a location, we can discuss the details?"

Wang Qiqi quickly agreed. "Are we walking?" The heat was intense, and the locations were probably spread across several hills. If they were close, it would be fine, but if they were far apart, it would be dreadful.

"We have an electric cart to take you. Don't worry," the middle-aged woman smiled, then handed Wang Qiqi an umbrella. "Borrow this for now. The sun is quite fierce outside; there isn't much shade on the mountain."

Although it was an unintended gesture, it warmed Wang Qiqi's heart. At least someone showed her care, even if they weren't her relatives.

After following the staff member to several locations, Wang Qiqi finally settled on a spot. Although it didn't look the best currently, Wang Qiqi knew that a man-made river flowed below that plot, offering a "backing the mountain, facing the water" setting. While the area seemed desolate now, the Feng Shui was rumored to be excellent—much better than the other spots she’d seen. Furthermore, since this area was newly developed, there were many contiguous plots available. Wang Qiqi quickly selected a location in the middle of the eighth row: three connected plots, six square meters each, totaling eighteen square meters. She was very satisfied.

Back in the office, Wang Qiqi pointed to the location she had chosen. As this was a new development area, cement flooring had already been laid to attract customers, making it look much better than the older plots. The base price was two thousand five hundred per square meter, totaling forty-five thousand for eighteen square meters. Adding the marble flooring, the surrounding curb, and the stone lions she requested, after a discount, the final price came to sixty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight—a very auspicious number indeed.

"Can I pay by card here?" Wang Qiqi asked hesitantly. The four hundred thousand cash delivered yesterday had been deposited in the bank that morning. She felt unsafe keeping that much money at home, even with a safe; the bank was better, and it earned interest. Now, however, she regretted not keeping some cash on hand, as she would have to go withdraw money.

To Wang Qiqi’s surprise, the woman nodded and said they had a card machine. "You are quite lucky, young lady. The bank just installed that card machine yesterday, so you can use it today." The middle-aged woman watched as Wang Qiqi, without even batting an eye at the large sum, immediately asked about card payment. She inwardly exclaimed that people shouldn't be judged by appearances; she hadn't expected this young woman to be so generous. "Do you want to discuss this with your elders?" Although sales of cemetery plots were usually final, family disputes could always be troublesome.

"I am my parents' only daughter," Wang Qiqi stated plainly, then took the slip and headed toward the finance office.

Wang Qiqi's intention was clear: why should she report to those relatives? This was her family's money, and as the daughter, she was entitled to make the decision without needing approval from others. Wang Qiqi knew that if her uncles and aunts found out how much she spent on her parents' plot, they would be heartbroken and might even pressure her to cancel the purchase.

After paying, Wang Qiqi returned to the office to find several men who looked like construction workers waiting there; they were there to get her specifications. Wang Qiqi briefly explained her requirements and then handed each of them two hundred yuan privately. Wang Qiqi knew that with this money, the job would definitely be completed beautifully and offer exceptional value.

New book seeking support, please give some votes! Recommended with full text reading via URL to remove advertisements